Seth Stohs

After winning the Southern League championship in 2015, the Chattanooga Lookouts went 75-65 in 2016 and just missed the playoffs. This roster is filled with several of the Twins top pitching prospects, guys who could help the Twins within the next two seasons, maybe as early as late 2017. But there are also some really good hitting prospects on this roster. The 2017 season should be another exciting one for the Lookouts and their fans. This is where you'll find many of the top prospects!Today we look at the Chattanooga Lookouts players and coaching staff. We try to figure out a solid everyday lineup, and discuss the top prospects. Feel free to share any thoughts you may have on the team or roster, and ask as many questions as you would like. COACHING STAFF Doug Mientkiewicz managed the Lookouts the last two seasons. He led the team to a 151-126 record and that 2015 championship. He returns to Ft. Myers, and Jake Mauer takes over the Lookouts as manager. Mauer has experienced a lot of success. This will be his tenth season as a manager in the Twins minor league system. His overall record is 504-441. He managed in the GCL and at Ft. Myers before taking over the Cedar Rapids Kernels in 2013. In his four seasons there, he went 308-248 and led the team to the playoffs all four seasons. Ivan Arteaga begins his second season as the Lookouts pitching coach. He began his coaching career with the Twins in 2001 for the Venezuelan Winter League. He’s been a pitching coach at nearly every level of the minor leagues. Javier Valentin takes over for Tommy Watkins as the hitting coach of the Lookouts. Valentin has been a coach in the GCL the last two years after spending ten seasons in the big leagues, three with the Twins. ROSTER 15 of the 2 players mentioned below in the roster spent at least some time with the Lookouts in 2017. Three players are on the 40-man roster (Engelb Vielma, Felix Jorge and Fernando Romero). One player has spent some time in the big leagues. Paul Clemens has spent time in the big leagues three of the last four season (2013-14 with the Astros, 2016 with the Padres). He signed with the Twins last week and will get some innings for the Lookouts before moving up to the Red Wings. HITTERS C: Dan Rohlfing, Jose Gonzalez IF: Jonathan Rodriguez, Nick Gordon, Levi Michael, Engelb Vielma, Ryan Walker, Dan Gamache, TJ White OF: Edgar Corcino, Tanner English, Travis Harrison, LaMonte Wade PITCHERS SP: Felix Jorge, Fernando Romero, Kohl Stewart, Matt Tracy, Nik Turley, Stephen Gonsalves (DL) RP: Luke Bard, Nick Burdi, Paul Clemens, John Curtiss, Ryan Eades, Raul Fernandez, Mason Melotakis, Tyler Jay (DL), POTENTIAL LINEUP LF - LaMonte Wade CF - Tanner English SS - Nick Gordon DH - Travis Harrison 1B - Jonathan Rodriguez RF - Edgar Corcino C - Dan Rohlfing 2B - Engelb VIelma 3B - Ryan Walker TOP PROSPECTS Fernando Romero - Has perhaps the best stuff, a 98 mph fastball and a slider near 90.Stephen Gonsalves - Most polished pitching prospect with a solid, four-pitch mix. Good showing in big league camp until shoulder soreness. Working in Ft. Myers to stretch out.Nick Gordon - Strong showing in the Arizona Fall League last year earned him an invite to big league camp. Continues to grow. Will play shortstop and second base.Tyler Jay - Moved to the bullpen this spring, where his stuff will play up, and he could move quickly. Out early with biceps tendinitis.Kohl Stewart - Former top pick, Stewart has good stuff, has put up strong numbers, but needs to find a way to miss more bats (rather than just get weak contact).Felix Jorge - Most consistent starting pitcher the last three seasons, Jorge has progressed by attacking the strike zone with three good pitches, and a fastball at 91-94.LaMonte Wade - One of the best plate approaches in the system, Wade should start developing some power if he can stay healthy in 2017.Engelb Vielma - The top defensive infielder in the Twins system, he will likely spend time at shortstop and second base. He has little power but has hit for average.STORIES TO WATCH Nick Gordon and Engelb Vielma are both starting the season here. It will be interesting to see how Jake Mauer allocates the playing time between the two, at shortstop and second. Paul Molitor would like to see Gordon get more time at second base this year, obviously, it makes him a possible call up in two spots. Most admit that Vielma is the better defensive player, and Molitor called Gordon one of the better hitting prospects. Will be fun to follow.Twins Daily’s #1 and #2 prospects, Fernando Romero and Stephen Gonsalves, will be pitching on this staff. But Kohl Stewart and Felix Jorge will want to keep their names in the prospect circles too. All four can be big league pitchers, so how will each fare?Tyler Jay made the move to the bullpen. He will begin the season on the Disabled List with biceps tendinitis which will likely have him out a few weeks.Levi Michael and Travis Harrison were first round picks of the Twins in 2011, Michael out of college and Harrison out of high school. They can become free agents at the end of the season, so it will be interesting to see how they progress this year.Dan Rohlfing and Jose Gonzalez are minor league veterans. Both are considered very good behind the plate. They will be tasked with working with this talented pitching staff, yet each of them still have big league aspirations.That bullpen is full of very, very hard throwers, headlined by Nick Burdi. The Louisville product would like to move past an injury-plagues 2016 and could advance quickly. But Bard, Curtiss, Jay, and Melotakis all sit in the mid-90s as well.Please feel free to discuss this roster. Ask lots of questions and check back often. What stories will you be following? Click here to view the article

That's what happens when you turn the roster over to youth... Guys like Sano, Buxton, Kepler, Polanco, Rosario are going to play a lot, and guys like Dozier, Mauer and Castro will be in the lineup more often than not. AAA depth is just that, depth for injury. The hope is that the young guys, the next core, will take a step forward. There can be some relievers that could/should come up at some point when they proved themselves. Chargois, Reed, Hildenberger and others too should be up.

There'll likely be some DL'd guys... They always have this many on the tentative rosters. They'll make decisions before Thursday. Jake Reed is obviously going to start the season on the DL with his side injury. But Busenitz was headed for Chattanooga. I assume he took Reed's spot. I'm sure they'll have more on the DL.

I would think the catching would be pretty much 50/50... The difference is that when Garver isn't catching, they're likely to have him occasionally play some 1B or DH too. Hague has a brief time in the big leagues. He would be the definition of a replacement level player or a AAAA player.

Yeah, that seems strange, but frankly, the minor league coaches are at the ballpark from about noon to 11 or so at night. They are so focused on their players and those throughout the organization that they can't keep tabs on everything around the league. I don't even keep track of such things. Before the Twins signed him, I couldn't have told you who Paul Clemens was, much less who he played for and if he's got MLB time. Granted, I heard the news and I went to Baseball Reference.

He's earned it on and off the field. Great guy. Great in the community. And he knows the game. He's a baseball lifer. Players love him. He's intense. It's going to be fun to watch how he grows into this new role.

He's so little, so wiry... but he throws hard and has some really good stuff. He'll hopefully gain some weight/strength, but he's certainly one to watch.

It's both, but let's not pretend the investment doesn't play into it... You mention how good McGuff was last year in the GCL and E-Town and for Cedar Rapids in the playoffs... and he's starting in Extended Spring. Then again, Brady Anderson signed last June as a Non-Drafted Free Agent, and he got to Cedar Rapids, and he's still around. So, those guys have to really, really produce to get noticed, but there's always a chance.

I think it would be successful if one of them becomes a reliever. I just think we learn a lot more about pitchers in their first full professional season. Obviously more than we learned in their partial season after being drafted. But, I'm at least intrigued by a few of these guys. To me, Tyler Wells is the one to watch. He's 6-8. Throws in the low-90s, though I think that'll jump up a few ticks, and he has what can be a really good slider and a curveball. There's some stuff to work with there.

He says he feels fine, no pain at all, just needs to stretch out. And yeah, 5-6 sounds good to me, but if it's 8-10, that doesn't hurt anything either.

It's too early to know, to be honest. These guys are not high draft picks (Schick was 6th round, went to HS with Gonsalves... Wells is the highest upside, in my opinion... Del Rosario is little, but has some great stuff)... None are real high prospects, but I'd suspect 1-2 of them do a real nice job... And there are some guys at EST that should probably start at Elizabethton, but we could see in May or June...

I think Lopez will play a lot of 2B, and Blankenhorn will play a lot of 3B. Montesino played a little in CF too. Whitefield will play almost exclusively CF. I'd be surprised to see him play in the infield.

First, he has to be healthy. That's the big thing. He'll miss 1-2 starts at the beginning of the season as he's getting stretched out in Ft. Myers. And, he only made like 11 AA starts, so there's nothing wrong with making him make 5-6 more starts there before moving him up.

In 2016, the Cedar Rapids Kernels went 78-61. They went a remarkable 42-28 in the second half and made the playoffs. The lost in the second round, but to get even that far was remarkable. The 2017 team looks to get back to the playoffs under a familiar face who is making his managerial debut. The fans of Cedar Rapids are likely disappointed to not be seeing 2016 top pick Alex Kirilloff, but there is still some good talent on this roster.Today we look at the Cedar Rapids Kernels players and coaching staff. We try to figure out a solid everyday lineup, and discuss the top prospects. Feel free to share any thoughts you may have on the team or roster, and ask as many questions as you would like. COACHING STAFF Jake Mauer led the Kernels to the Midwest League playoffs all four years since the Twins came to Cedar Rapids. He is moving up to Double-A Chattanooga, and the ever-popular Tommy Watkins is getting his first shot at being a minor league manager. Watkins was the Twins 38th round pick in 1998. He worked and persevered and in 2007, he was called up to the Twins and hit .357 (10-28) in nine games. Unfortunately, he got hurt and spent the final five weeks of the season on the Disabled List and never played in the big leagues again. Even as a player, many assumed he would become a coach and eventually a manager. His 12 year career came to an end in 2009, and in 2010 he became the hitting coach for the Twins. He has spent most of his time in the Midwest League, though he was promoted to AA Chattanooga for the 2015 season. He is excited for the opportunity to manage this year. Brian Dinkelman returns to the Kernels for his second season as hitting coach. He spent one season in the GCL as well. Drafted in 2006, Dinkelmen spent eight seasons in pro baseball. He played 21 games and hit .301 for the Twins in 2011. JP Martinez is back for his second season as the pitching coach in Cedar Rapids. He came to the Twins after coaching high school ball for a couple of seasons. He was drafted by the Twins in 2004 and spent four seasons in the system before one year with the Orioles organization. ROSTER 14 of these 26 players spent at least some time with the Kernels in 2016, and 13 of them were drafted or signed by the Twins in 2016. HITTERS Catchers: Caleb Hamilton, Mitchell Kranson, Ben Rortvedt Infielders: Lewin Diaz, Brandon Lopez, Ariel Montesino, Jermaine Palacios, Travis Blankenhorn Outfielders: Shane Carrier, Chris Cavaness, Jaylin Davis, Aaron Whitefield PITCHERS Starting Pitchers: Brady Anderson, Tyler Beardsley, Clark Beeker, Eddie Del Rosario, Sean Poppen, Alex Schick, Tyler Wells Relief Pitchers: Max Cordy, Colton Davis, Tom Hackimer, Hector Lujan, Alex Robinson, Zack Tillery, Andrew Vasquez POTENTIAL LINEUP CF - Aaron Whitefield 2B - Brandon Lopez 3B - Travis Blankenhorn LF - Jaylin Davis 1B - Lewin Diaz DH/C - Mitchell Kranson RF - Shane Carrier C/DH - Ben Rortvedt SS - Jermaine Palacios TOP PROSPECTS Travis BlankenhornLewin DiazBen RortvedtJermaine PalaciosAaron WhitefieldTyler WellsJaylin DavisEddie Del RosarioSTORIES TO WATCHTravis Blankenhorn was drafted as a third baseman. Last year, he spent most of his time playing second base. This spring, he’s played both spots. How (and where) will his defense progress in 2017? And, of course, can he show some of the power he showed in Elizabethton last season?Jermaine Palacios put up monster numbers in the GCL and Elizabethton in 2015. Last year, he struggled mightily in the season’s first months in Cedar Rapids before being hit by a pitch, which ended his season. He’s back and healthy, so will he be able to find his swing again?Six of the seven starting pitchers mentioned above were drafted or signed in 2016. Only one of them was drafted before the 15th round last year. All of them were pitching in college a year ago at this time, so it will be interesting to see how they do in the Midwest League.The roster lists three catchers, yet there is some versatility with the position. While 2016 second-round pick Ben Rortvedt will likely only catch (and DH some) the others can play around the diamond. Mitchell Kranson played almost exclusively behind the plate this spring, but in college, he played nearly every defensive position. He has a middle-of-the-order bat, so it’s likely he’ll get some time besides when he is catching. Caleb Hamilton just moved to catcher at Instructional League after the 2016 season. At Oregon State, he played many positions, depending upon the team’s need. He is a good athlete and can play all over.I think that Lewin Diaz is going to bust out this year in Cedar Rapids. He’s a big man and a good athlete. He will strike out some, but he is also likely to hit several really long home runs.Please feel free to discuss this roster. Ask lots of questions and check back often. What stories will you be following? Click here to view the article

Paulsen is going to have to play the corner outfield spots and DH too, I think. I always thought Goodrum should have stayed at shortstop. May no longer have the range, but he makes the plays and has a strong arm. He's expected to play all over the place though.

In 2016, the Rochester Red Wings went 81-63. However, they finished third in their division and just shy of a playoff spot. The 2017 Red Wings will again have a good combination of prospects and veterans. It is a team that has the potential to put the Red Wings back in playoff contention while providing the Minnesota Twins with players to help as they look to improve.Today we look at the Rochester Red Wings players and coaching staff. We try to figure out a solid everyday lineup, and discuss the top prospects. Feel free to share any thoughts you may have on the team or roster, and ask as many questions as you would like. COACHING STAFF Mike Quade returns to the Red Wings for his third year as manager. The former Cubs manager has led the Wings to a 158-130 record over the last two seasons. Because of the car accident he was involved in in Ft. Myers this spring, he had rotator cuff surgery and will not be able to coach third base this season. That job will go to Toby Gardenhire, who was brought in to be a coach in the GCL. He will have other duties with the coaching staff as well. Chad Allen is back for his second season as the Red Wings hitting coach. Stu Cliburn returns as the pitching coach for the second straight season, though he also was their pitching coach from 2006 to 2008. He’s been a pitching coach in the Twins organization dating back to 1993. ROSTER Here is a look at the Red Wings Opening Day roster. 16 of these 26 players have spent at least some time in the big leagues. 17 of the players spent at least some time with the Red Wings last year. Eight players are on the 40-man roster. Note that this is a tentative roster and can be updated before their season starts on Thursday. HITTERS Catchers: Mitch Garver, John Ryan Murphy Infielders: Byungho Park, Ben Paulsen, Kennys Vargas, Tommy Field, Matt Hague, Bengie Gonzalez, Niko Goodrum, Leonardo Reginnato, Outfielders: Quintin Berry, Zack Granite, Daniel Palka, JB Shuck, Ryan Strausborger PITCHERS Starting Pitchers: Jose Berrios, David Hurlbut, Aaron Slegers, Nick Tepesch, Jason Wheeler, Yohan Pino (DL), Nick Greenwood (DL) Relief Pitchers: DJ Baxendale, Buddy Boshers, Alan Busenitz, JT Chargois, Trevor Hildenberger, Jake Reed, Drew Rucinski, Alex Wimmers, Zack Jones (DL-shoulder) POTENTIAL LINEUP CF - Zack Granite RF - JB Shuck 1B - Byungho Park LF - Daniel Palka DH -Kennys Vargas C - Mitch Garver 3B - Matt Hague SS - Niko Goodrum 2B - Tommy Field TOP PROSPECTS JT Chargois - Needs to work on command, but should have a big future in late innings.Mitch Garver - Needs to play most every day. He’s close to ready.Daniel Palka - Huge power, needs to put the ball in play a bit more because he hurts the ball when he does.Zack Granite - His game is more impressive than his numbers. He does so many things well.Jake Reed - Gets great movement on his fastball and slider. Should debut in 2017.Aaron Slegers - Also seems more impressive than his numbers. Sits 90-92, touches 94.Trevor Hildenberger - He has put up video game numbers the last two season in the minors. Funky delivery, should debut this season.Niko Goodrum - Could have been a free agent. Returned. Performed well in big league spring. Can play all over the diamond.STORIES TO WATCHWhen will Kennys Vargas and Byungho Park get moved up to Minnesota. Could someone else be called up when the Twins go from 13 to 12 pitchers… sometime?Daniel Palka was Twins Daily’s Minor League Hitter of the Year in 2016. Zack Granite was the Twins choice for Minor League Player of the Year. Both were added to the 40-man roster this offseason. They are almost polar opposite in terms of player type, but both could surface with the Twins in 2017.The Red Wings bullpen could provide the Twins with some much needed depth throughout the season. JT Chargois needs to harness his control. Jake Reed injured his side and could miss a couple of weeks, but his stuff can be very good too. Trevor Hildenberger has been incredible and should surface with the Twins this year. DJ Baxendale will spend his first full season as a reliever after a strong showing in the 2nd half of the Red Wings ‘pen last year. Alex Wimmers was arguably the Twins best reliever this spring and should get another opportunity with the big league club. Alan Busenitz throws hard too.Mitch Garver and John Ryan Murphy are both on the 40-man roster. Jason Castro is around for the next three years, but Chris Gimenez was added to the 40-man roster. Gimenez’s ability to play other positions mean that the Twins could, at times, go with another catcher.Can Jose Berrios improve his command. I mean, that’s the biggest question there is for Twins fans. His ability to find any semblance of command will determine when (or if) he will become a solid MLB starter.Please feel free to discuss this roster. Ask lots of questions and check back often. What stories will you be following? Click here to view the article

Twins fans and players alike were surprised to hear the news on Thursday that Byungho Park had been reassigned to Twins minor league camp. Robbie Grossman would enter the season as the primary DH, though the position will likely have many players. Today, we make some predictions for the DH Types that we think will see time with the Twins in 2017. Robbie Grossman gets first crack. Kennys Vargas is expected to start the season in Rochester, but he’s on the 40-man roster. Byungho Park will also start in Rochester, but he is not on the 40-man roster.How will the playing time be allocated among these three players throughout the season? What will Park need to do in Rochester to get himself back on the 40-man roster? This is the most difficult prediction since there are three players. They all can and will play other positions at times too. I’ll post my predictions, but be sure to post your thoughts and your predictions into the comments below. It will be fun to take a look at the end of the season and see how our predictions look. KEY NUMBERS .252/.333/.421 (.754) - Those are the slash line numbers for Twins DHs in 2016. The batting average ranked seventh in the AL. The on-base percentage ranked sixth in the AL. The slugging percentage ranked 11th of 15 AL teams. While RBI are not a category we look at often, the team ranked 15th of 15 teams in driving batters in. So while the batting average and on-base stats look fine, the Twins DHs in 2016 lacked power. PREDICTIONS Robbie Grossman: 259 at-bats, .262/.329/.347 (.676), 13 doubles, 1 triples, 7 home runs. Byungho Park: 466 at-bats, .242/.314/.487 (.801), 20 doubles, 1 triples, 24 home runs. Kennys Vargas: 213 at-bats, .216/.295/.352 (.647), 8 doubles, 0 triples, 7 home runs. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Robbie Grossman destroyed left-handed pitching in 2016. I think he’ll continue to do that, though not at the same rate. I have him slated for 80 games. I believe that the Twins will go to 12 pitchers in the near future and bring up a DH type. That will put Grossman in a more traditional fourth outfielder role, though I think he’ll still DH a lot against lefties, or he should. Kennys Vargas had a good three week period in 2016, but overall, it was a disappointing season for the slugger. The Twins lobbied for and received an extra optio year for Vargas, allowing him to spend time in 2017 in Rochester. I have him playing in 80 games for the Twins also. While most are disappointed that Park did not make the Opening Day roster, I think that he can take off if he remains healthy. I think he’ll be back up fairly quick, and I have him with 110 games played between DH and first base. I have him hitting for a lot of power, though the batting average remains low. YOUR TURN Your turn. Share your thoughts on and predictions on Grossman, Vargas and Park in 2017. We can take a look back at the end of the season and see how we did. PREVIOUS PREDICTIONS Jason Castro Joe Mauer Brian Dozier Miguel Sano Jorge Polanco Eddie Rosario Byron Buxton Max Kepler Click here to view the article

Max Kepler was signed way back in 2009, July 2nd, the same day as Jorge Polanco. As you would expect, the young German was a very raw baseball talent, so the Twins were very patient. He spent three years in the rookie leagues before joining Cedar Rapids in the second half of the 2013 season. In 2015, he was the Twins Minor League {layer of the year (and Twins Daily’s Minor League Hitter of the Year). He was the Southern League MVP, led the Lookouts to the league’s championship and then was called up to the Twins for the final two weeks of the season. On the season’s final day, he hit a single off of Johnny Cueto for his first Major League hit. He came up to the Twins in April and sat, but when he returned in early June, he was in the lineup nearly every day the rest of the season. He had some impressive moments, and he struggled a lot. You would expect that from a 23-year-old with very little time at AAA.As we embark on the 2017 season, Kepler was handed the right field job. He will hit somewhere in the middle of the lineup. He’ll continue to face growing pains, but he’s a fast learner, and he will make adjustments. So what do you hope or expect to see from Max Kepler in 2017? After 17 homers as a rookie, can he hit more in 2017? Will he hit for a better average? Will we see some of his minor league tendencies, at least the good ones, surface in the big leagues? Be sure to post your thoughts and your predictions into the comments below. It will be fun to take a look at the end of the season and see how our predictions look. KEY NUMBERS .595 - Against left-handers last year in the big leagues, Kepler struggled. He hit just .203/.273/.322 (.595) against southpaws. Meanwhile, against right-handers, he hit .248/.325/.468 (.792) and hit 15 of his 17 home runs. In the minor leagues, Kepler hit almost as well against lefties as he did against righties, so this is something we will want to watch in 2017. .322/.416/.531 (.947) - Those are Kepler’s slash line numbers from 2015 in AA Chattanooga when he was named the Southern League MVP. It’s not one number, but it’s a good reminder of the type of player many believe that Kepler can become. He filled the stat sheet. He hit for average. He showed an ability to get on base with walks. He hit for power. He had 32 doubles, 13 triples and nine home runs. He added three more homers in the playoffs. To go with the triples, he stole 18 bases as well. He hit lefties as well as right-handers. He also walked 67 times and struck out 63 times. So while Kepler has some improvements and adjustments to make, it’s important to remember why so many people believe in him. PREDICTIONS Max Kepler: 577 at-bats, .273/.336/.458 (.794), 29 doubles, 5 triples, 18 home runs. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I have Kepler playing in 150 games, a few in centerfield and a couple likely at DH. He may even play some first base. I think we’ll start seeing some of what he can become. I don’t think his plate discipline will peak yet in his Age-24 season, but it will improve. He had 17 homers last year and he’s still primarily a line drive hitter. However, he makes very hard contact and he’s going to continue to add more and more home run power. I think we’ll see some of that in 2017, but as we move forward, I think he can be a 30 homer hitter. In fact, a month ago on Twitter I posted a “BOLD PREDICTION” saying that Kepler would hit 30 home runs this year. While I doubt it, I would not be terribly surprised if he did. The league will continue to make adjustments to Kepler, so Kepler will need to adjust back. His minor league track record of strong plate discipline and contact should really help him with that. YOUR TURN Your turn. Share your thoughts on and predictions on Max Kepler in 2017. We can take a look back at the end of the season and see how we did. PREVIOUS PREDICTIONS Jason Castro Joe Mauer Brian Dozier Miguel Sano Jorge Polanco Eddie Rosario Byron Buxton Max Kepler Click here to view the article

Byron Buxton looked different this year. On the Winter Caravan, at Twins Fest or throughout Spring Training, Buxton looked much more relaxed, much more comfortable. it’s amazing the effect of success can have on a person. After struggles and demotions marred much of his first two seasons, he came back up on September 1st last year and showed the promise so many had hoped for since he was the #2 overall pick in 2012. In fact, he was probably much better in September than anyone would have ever thought. Not only did he show his great speed, but he showed the power that many wondered if he would ever be able to show.It was assumed coming into spring training that Buxton would hit either first or ninth in the lineup. But his continues solid showing and confidence in spring training caused manager Paul Molitor to consider putting him in the #3 spot in the lineup. Buxton routinely turns regular singles into doubles, and doubles into triples. The ball comes off his bat and it becomes must-watch TV So what do you expect to see from Byron Buxton in 2017? Has he taken The Step to stardom, or will he find struggles? Most likely the answer is somewhere in between. So aside from outstanding defense (which we believe is a given), what do you predict for Buxton this season? Be sure to post your thoughts and your predictions into the comments below. It’s always fun to take a look at the end of the season and see how our predictions look. KEY NUMBERS .561 - When Byron Buxton was optioned to Rochester in early August, he was hitting .193/.247/.315 (.561) in 63 games played. He came back up on September 1st, and over the final 29 games, he hit .287/.357/.653 (1.011) with 17 extra base hits, including nine homers. He raised his season OPS from .561 to .714. 31.9%, 35.6% - Striking out is something that Byron Buxton has done a lot in his young major league career. In his first season, he struck out 31.9% of the time. In 2016, he struck out 35.6% of his plate appearances. Even during his hot stretch in September, he struck out 38 times in 113 plate appearances (33.6%). While he was overmatched much of the time, it isn’t something that I think is a long-term risk. His strikeout rates in Low A, High A and AA were all under 20% Hopefully Buxton will be able to cut down on his strikeouts without it affecting his aggressiveness. PREDICTIONS Byron Buxton: 553 at-bats, .266/.316/.463 (.779), 31 doubles, 12 triples, 18 home runs. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Byron Buxton, despite a 93 OPS+ in 2016, his bWAR was 1.9 because of his defense. Byron Buxton has tremendous value to the Twins even if his offense is just MLB average. As the Twins signed Jason Castro to help improve the pitching, having Byron Buxton manning centerfield on a nearly everyday basis. I have Buxton playing in 154 games. Hopefully that is low. If what we saw in in September is a sign of things to come, not that he needs to post a 1.000 OPS all the time, then there are exciting times ahead of the Twins and their fans. As I wrote above, his ability to turn singles into doubles and doubles into triples will certainly help with his slugging percentage. I think he will approach what would be very close to another Twins single-season strikeouts record, though a healthy Sano will make that nothing to worry about for Buxton. If Paul Molitor puts him in the #3 spot in the order, with speed and on-base guys in front of him, he should be able to drive in a lot of runs. I think a Gold Glove and an All Star berth are possible in 2017, and there will be several of each in years to come. YOUR TURN Your turn. Share your thoughts on and predictions on Byron Buxton in 2017. We can take a look back at the end of the season and see how we did. PREVIOUS PREDICTIONS Jason Castro Joe Mauer Brian Dozier Miguel Sano Jorge Polanco Eddie Rosario Byron Buxton Click here to view the article